Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Things don't look good for my participation in the BBT 4. Boss told me I can look forward to working more hours. Which really translates into he wants me to be in the office for at least 11 hours. For the most part I don't mind that if I have something to do or am not having a project thrown at me with a fake deadline of tomorrow (that has happened too much lately. Last project that was due "last week" has the final report sitting on his desk waiting for his review.)

My life feels like Pat McCurdy (local artist) song. Wake up, good to work, get drunk, go to sleep. Except I am not participating in the get drunk part. Actually my life is wake up, go to work, eat supper, work some more, go to sleep. No room for poker for now. The later times translate to me either falling asleep with my face on the keyboard and getting blinded out if I go deep or falling asleep before the tournament starts.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

I had some time to kill before playing the Brit game today. I wanted to play some small PLO but there were not spots available. So instead I sat down at a small limit game and played some 3/6 holdem as well. Good thing I did. Sat down, posted and was given J 9s. One of the blinds raised and I went with it as well. 4 of us saw a flop that include an 8 and a 10. Small blind bet out and was raised. I just called as did the blind. Turn was a Q. BB led out and I, of coursed, raised. We ended up capping it. River is a 9. I bet out and get raised. Nice! I just get called and the $99 pot is sent my way. My opponent really thought his two pair was good there. In the first hand I just about double my buy in. Can't complain as I ended up down a buck on the O8 game.

The Brit game started with 46 players. On the first hand I get 7 7 and think this could be a quick one. I raise from EP but get no callers. Soon after that I look to take in a nice pot. Everyone called a raise to 90. With Q Q I really want to thin this field and raise the size of the pot, 540. Everyone folds. I though the initial raiser would have called but apparently they had nothing.A couple hands later and I get moved to a new table.

Those Queens come by for a visit again but this time we see flop. 8 high with two diamonds. I make the continuation bet as I am not going to give anyone a free draw. I only make one aggressive play at this table. I raise with K 10 because I wanted to do something. Only the BB calls. Flop is Q high, all hearts. I check behind. Another blank on the turn and my oppenent bets pot. I smell some bull here and decided to pop it right back to 600. If he comes over the top I can fold and still have little damage. But he folds and I put a smile on my face. Must prevent myself from doing that again. Lack of focus is what usually gets me bounced out of these tournaments. Then I get moved again.

I fold a lot as I am working on being careful. I get A J in MP and raise it up. Only the button calls. Flop isn't bad. J 10 x. I bet the pot and get called. Hmmm. Turn is another 10. I think and feel that he does not have a 10. I see he has only 1310 behind. Wiht 1090 in the pot I get what he has. I get called as he shows Q 9. Q 9? Interesting. A 4 hits the river and I am over 3k. That is why you don't play crap cards from the button and allow yourself to get into trouble.I don't think I would play for 11 outs and one card to come.

Back to a lot of folding. I get froggy in some spots but don't throw chips around. I need to remind myself that people are willing to go for broke with some bad hands. Must make sure I am bringing a guy to a knife fight. At the break I am sitting at 13 with 2800. The ever elusive Gracie is in first with over 5k.

It feels like I don't play in the second session. Cards suck. I can't get anything going. Then with A Q I have to make a move but get no help. Done at 18. Feels pretty anticlimactic. Just nothing going in that second session.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

It's 11:24 CST. The first couple of games have just started and yet I feel like I have been eliminated from each of the pools. I feel like I should find a way to write this off on my taxes as a charitable donation. Better yet, stop paying taxes and get a Cabinet position.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The HORSE game was rather rough. I was up a little bit early but ran into some problems in the stud rounds. A hammer hand got me in trouble as I couldn't lay down my two pair even though I knew in my gut it was no good.

Later A J got me in trouble when the flop came down A high. I knew I was up against A K but again, I just couldn't lay it down. I think I am going to be short lived in the hold em round. Get lucky when I hit a set of 7s. Gets better when the board pairs 3s. But when another 3 hits on the river, I feel I am in trouble. Somehow my opponent doesn't have a jack and folds. Could be a turning point.

Still alive at the break but way down at 53rd place. 62 of the 68 starters are still around and there is a lot of poker to be played. I begin to rationalize my crappy play at this point. I have a meeting with the division manager tomorrow and think that busting out isn't a bad thing. But why bother to sign up if I am going to worry about losing sleep? I hope to focus and see if I can make a comeback without taking stupid chances. Sometimes that is tougher than it sounds for me. Good thing I don't have any beer in the house because I know if I would pop a bottle open I would soon bust out.

I drop half my chips in the O8 round in one hand when my A 3 T T is up against A K K and a A A 3 hand. Wow. Next hand I get those back when I hit my straight on the turn.

We get into the Razz round and I recall the thought of trying to come back without taking stupid chances. Well, I get myself into a hand I should be in. To top it off, my opponent shows weakness on the 5 and 6 card. So I bet on the river thinking I can get them to fold a 9 hand. I am showing a 10 and think I can get them to fold? Stupid stupid stupid!

I again go into rationalization mode. Playing short stacked tournament Razz is fun, right? The rush of seeing those 3 low cards and feeling good to watching the bricks hit and feeling like crap as you bust out. Fun, right? And why do I have some video game contest on the TV?

On to Stud and I have only 900 left. Make that 800 as I get a couple bring ins right away. Soon my Kings would not get any help from the other 5 cards and I was done in 51st. Can't complain. I didn't play a disciplined game. No one to blame but myself.

I have filled out 3 brackets for the NCAA tournament so far. This is from a person who doesn't watches very little basketball. I may have watched 5 minutes of NCAA ball all season. And that was at a bar when I was drinking and shooting darts. So yeah, I have little clue what I am doing.

Already I cannot recall who I have winning the whole thing. I know each one is different. Louisville, Kansas and Missouri come to mind. I would be shocked if I get close to cashing in one, let lone hit 60% of picks. Hitting 60% should be easy, right?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

It was nice to win the tournament on Sunday. Thanks to everyone who left the congratulatory comments. I felt I played pretty good throughout most of it. I took some chances when it seemed appropriate but laid off some bad moves. By no means was I perfect. This is not a "My poker fu was much great than all the donkeys that think they know how to play this game" post. In fact it is the opposite. It is an acknowledgement of how I got lucky to win that tournament.

See, Smokkee's comment was dead on. "so many sick hands at the final table although pretty standard for a bloggament". I was the recipient of two sick hands that helped me win. On the hand where I ran A 9 into A K thinking my opponent was putting a move on me and sucking out the 9 on the turn was the RNG hitting in my favor. I made a bad read. That led to the bad play. But I got lucky with the suckout. I felt like I need to go wash my hands after pulling those pots out of my ass.

Luck came to visit me again when I cracked aces with K Q. On this hand I got outplayed. I put him on A something or K J at best. I never thought he had aces. I was more than happy to insta-call with my top pair good kicker. To an extent, who wouldn't have made that call there?

It seems like people don't give credit where it is due when they get lucky. I think of the Bodog TOC tournament where I lost 2 big hands at the final table because luck went against me. My opponent would make you think it was skill that won it for him but it wasn't. He should have been knocked out twice, just like I should have on Sunday.

I won't deny it. It felt good to have the suckouts come in my favor for once. Or at least that is how it feels, even though I have probably have gotten lucky just as many times as it has gone against me.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

I hadn't really planned to play the Brit Bloggerment tournament today. I had some work I needed to get done but I really didn't want to do that either. So I decided to do both. I grabbed the work laptop and set it on a TV tray and fired up the tournament. I figured it would help me not make too many stupid plays and donk chips off right away. It worked ok in the first hour. I survived the first 60 minutes to sit 9 out of the 30 remaining. 24 dropped in the first hour.

I did make one bad play that had me disappointed. I was in the SB. The action folded to the button and he raised. I just called. I figured he was in on a steal but just called. I felt stupid having done that. I then tried to take it down by betting the pot on the flop. Though I just had A high I hoped I could scare him off the pot. Nope. He caught second pair and had an A as well. No miracle runner runner for me and I dropped the comfortable stack I had. I was still in it but basically was starting over.

Jumped back up when I got lucky and flopped a set. A slightly smaller stack gave me his chips when he tried to re-raise my bet with A Q. That got me to the break with a bit of breathing room. Plus I got some work done. The work kept me from making some other stupid plays.

I folded a lot during the beginning of the second hour. Even folded more when I got moved to a new table. I get some small pots and float along until I get lucky in the BB. I wanted to see a flop with A 5s. Button raised again. I thought of pushing but decided to just see a flop. Flop is perfect as I hit my flush. I check and call his pot bet. But the turn is a J, pairing the board. Crap! I hate that card. My thinking is bet out and hope he didn't catch something, or at least put the screws to him. I go all in and wait. He folds. I wonder if my initial read was right and it was just a steal.

I go back to working and folding for while. Then I get some cards. K K, then A A then A Q. But the table is pretty tight now. Antes have kicked in and no one is taking chances. I chip up a bit but wonder if it could have been better.

My rush continues for a bit. Keep chipping up. I have a nice boost when I get J J to hold up against 2 2 and K 10s. At the second break I have moved up into the 2 spot, just behind Smokkee.

We hit the final table and my rush ends. With A Qs, I raise to isolate a short stack that pushed. He shows Q Q and the race is on. The flop looks good J 10 5, two spades. My flush and royal draw look good. But I can't catch another spade or an A and the pot slides to my opponent. Then in what looks like an attempt at sick humor, I get Q Q and am up against 7 7. The flop looks ok for him, J 10 8. I am dreading seeing a 9 hit. But somehow it doesn't come (corrected for Drizz's listening pleasure) and the ladies stand up.

We are now down to 6. This is where I catch a huge break. I am in the SB and am dealt A 9. Action folds to me and I go with a minraise. The BB comes right back and goes all in. That is 17000 to call. I don't think too much and basically insta call thinking he was trying to push me off a steal. I couldn't have been more wrong. He shows A Ks and I am ready to shut it down. The flops gives him more outs with a flush draw. But then the 9 of diamonds spikes on the turn. I see a small red card hit the river and my suckout is complete. A terrible call propels me into first.

We get to 3 handed and my hands are getting bad. Even when I try to steal I am getting caught and forced to fold. I am trying to be patient but that is being tested. But I am doing my best. And apparently my best is by winning with another major suckout. I call a raise with K Q offsuit. Flop comes K high. I decide to check raise. When I do, he pushes on me. I really think my Kings are good and call. He shows A A. Could I be more wrong AGAIN??? Yep. But for once I have that good feeling in my gut. It stays when a Q slams on the river. Another big suckout and I am in a fantastic positions to take this down.

I am heads up with Smokkee now. Even though I have a commanding chip lead- 5 to 1- I have a fear I may choke and give it all away. But I don't. A number of hands in and it is over. I have A Q vs his 7 7. I hit my pair and it done. I have won the Brit Blogger game! Not too bad for something I wasn't considering playing.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

The BBT 4 got started with the Brit Blonkament tournament. It is one of the times that work out very well for me so I was looking forward to it.

I started out on the loose end. Raising with A Jo in MP. Got one call. Though I flopped top pair I folded to turn raise. It is just too early to go out without a dominant hand. Next hand I decide to just call Huntvegas' raise with A Qo. Checked the flop of K Q 5. Turn looked to be a harmless 9 and I just called his bet. I figured he was stealing the pot with a bet on the river but he wasn't. His set of 9s was good. Not sure I could have taken it with a flop bet but my gut tells me I would have. Damn.

And then I get a table change and a chance to slow down. I get some chips when I am able to see a flop with A 10. All the chips go in on a flop of A 9 8. I catch another A on the river to double up to over 600.

I fold my way to another table change. Barely 20 minutes in and I have been moved twice. Guess with 11 people getting knocked out that will happen.

I don't have to worry too long about getting switched because I got knocked out in 54th place. There is a min raise from EP. I am in the big blind with K Qo and call the 40. Flop is K 5 4. I check and push on his bet. I get called by 4 3s. A pit begins to form in my stomach. The turn is a blank but the river is a 3. Thanks a lot RNG!